The present invention relates to the preparation of substituted 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes by reacting cyclopentadiene with ammonium salts or the salts of primary amines and carbonyl compounds to form the salts of 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene derivatives, neutralization of the salts and, possibly, hydrogenation of the bases to form derivatives of the 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, as well as to the application of the products obtained by this process as amine catalysts.
It is known that N-alkyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes can be prepared by Hoffman-Loffler-Freytag reaction starting from N-alkyl-aminomethylcyclopentane compounds, the starting materials being synthesized in several steps from cyclopentane carboxylic acid and a primary amine, see P. G. Gassmann and D. C. Heckert, Tetrahedron 21, 2725 (1965). Thus, for instance, the N-ethyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane can be prepared in a total yield of 24%. As a result of the low total yield and the high price of cyclopentane carboxylic acid used as a starting material, the manufacturing procedure described has not been accepted in the art.
Furthermore, it is known that 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene derivatives substituted on the nitrogen can be prepared by reacting iminium salts with cyclopentadiene, see S. D. Larsen and P. A. Grieco, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 107, 1768 (1985). S. D. Larsen and P. A. Grieco performed the reaction at room temperature or at a slightly higher temperature in a water/cyclopentadiene two-phase system using aminohydrochlorider and formalin at an excess of 30-40 mole %.
Linear, mono-, or bicyclic amines are commonly used in the art as catalysts for the production of polyurethanes. Thus, it is the object of the invention to prepare new bicyclic amines which are suitable as catalysts and can be synthesized from technically easily accessible and low-priced raw materials.
Accordingly, the problem of the prior art is resolved by providing as catalysts the compounds of the present invention.